A couple of days ago, the fashion Internet exploded with news of H&M’s next collaborative partner – quirky Italian label Marni. Forget Versace – this is something I might actually consider standing in line for, particularly because a full menagerie of accessories will also be available, right along with the retro-modern prints and oddball color combinations for which Marni is known.

Because of the nature of high-low collaborations (read: because of PVC ickiness), I never have much hope for the handbags and “leather” goods that will come out of these kinds of partnerships. Versace x H&M included some real leather, though, so who knows what the future (and Marni x H&M) might hold. It will hold some less-expensive takes on Marni’s much-sought-after costume jewelry, and that’s enough for me to be feeling the slight burn of excitement in the back of my brain. Sadly, We’ll have to wait until March 2012 to see this stuff in person. Are you sick of designer collaborations yet?

Perhaps improbably, Marni is always one of the handbag collections that I look forward to the most during Milan Fashion Week. The brand doesn’t have a reputation in the accessories world as a purse powerhouse, but I love Marni’s signature blend of girlishness and modernism. The end result is usually some great accessories that will withstand both the passage of the season’s trends and the passage of time, leaving you with a unique bag that people will ask about for years to come.

If you’d like to add that sort of accessory to your closet this season, you’d be well advised to go with one of the three-dimensional woven bags from Marni Spring 2012. Different fabrications and sizes of leather were woven together to create a pattern that looks a lot like tactile plaid, and the end result is kind of mesmerizing. Part of me would like to take one apart to see how it was constructed, but the rest of me would much rather tuck these bags safely away in my closet. All of them. Right now.

I can’t believe I haven’t posted about the Marni Woven Leather Hobo Bag already, but somehow it seems to have gotten passed over in the spring shuffle. What I can’t figure out, though, is how that managed to happen – I absolutely love it. I loved it as soon as I saw it on the runway back in September, and my love for the slouchy-yet-stark design has only grown since seeing how soft and wearable the bag would be in real life. This design is proof positive that neutrals don’t have to be boring background pieces.

There’s something about black and white patterns that I just can’t resist no matter what I do, and Marni managed to take the colors and put its signature retro-modern twist on them. I usually find woven bags too be either too hippy-dippy or too derivative of Bottega Veneta for my taste, but this design implements a large-scale weave without being sloppy or a knockoff of a different design. When so many bag customers in this price range automatically associate weaving with Bottega, that’s no small feat.

And not only is the design unique, but the bag is still functional. Although I suspect that the dark interior lining will make it a bit of a black hole, there’s no denying that you could fit everything you need for a day into this bag with room to spare. Finding it again later might be a tad difficult, but after years of carrying a veritable black hole as my primary bag, I can tell you that you do get used to it after a while. For this bag, I’d be happy to adjust. Buy through Marni for $2330.

Thank god, though, that we can always rely on Marni to give us an uncommon take on a common idea. The Marni Studded Leather Shoulder Bag makes a bold texture statement without being a slave to one trend or another, and it does that while being neutral and functional enough to use every day. This bag has enough personality to not appeal to absolutely everyone, but who wants to carry a bag that can be seen on the shoulder of every other woman walking down the street? Certainly not me. (Unless it’s a Celine Luggage Tote, of course. Then GIMME GIMME GIMME. Ahem. But that’s beside the point!)

I probably sound like a broken record when it comes to Marni, but I quite admire the brand’s ability to be directional and taste-specific without losing the utilitarian nature of its pieces. The taupe leather-covered studs make this bag a bit of an aesthetic oddity, but this is a time in fashion to embrace oddness and all of its trappings. When you can do that and still carry a neutral bag that holds everything you need for the day, you know that the piece’s designer has done his or her job. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $2015.

Marni, what were you thinking with your Ribbon-Trimmed Square Leather Tote?

Can you say bag flop? This bag is awkward, oddly shaped, weirdly colored, and ridiculously accessorized. When it first showed up in Net-A-Porter, I remember cringing ever so slightly. It is not that I expect to like every bag I see, but I typically am not confused by them.

The purpley-blue leather is put together in a square shaped tote which features double top handles, an adjustable shoulder strap, and a front compartment. Then there is a black self-tie ribbon dangling haphazardly at the front. The only other positive note I can give this bag is that it doesn’t look awful styled on the model at NAP. Do you agree? Buy via NAP for $860.

Marni’s handbags have been long-underrated among accessories enthusiasts, and their clean, functional shapes and mostly neutral colors deserve far more attention than they get. My favorite thing about Marni, of course, is that among all that neutral functionality, there’s always a couple of off-kilter twists waiting for those who care to pay attention.

The signature Marni touches come by way of the tonal webbing that trims the borders of this bag, as well as the abundant cotton ribbon at the front pocket. Marni’s design flourishes tend to be quite taste-specific and will likely turn off a good chunk of potential buyers, but I quite like the fact that the brand juxtaposed those sporty finishes with the ultra luxurious quilted black leather. If it weren’t for things like that, this wouldn’t be a Marni bag at all. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1330.

I’m not exactly easy on my bags; I believe that they’re functional objects that are meant to be used, and if you wear one out, that’s nothing more than a great reason to get a new one. I sit my bags on the floor in restaurants when there’s not an extra chair and don’t have a second thought about it. But Marni? Marni is making me have second thoughts and wonder if I could change my ways.

In reality, this bag would probably last about a week and a half in my care, which is why I have no suede bags at all, let alone ones this light and lovely. If you’re somewhat more careful and detail-oriented than I am, though, this understated, casual stunner is a great way to avoid designer fatigue and carry someone about which everyone will wonder. Marni proves itself again and again as a great source for off-kilter cool, and its bags are particularly great this season. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1470.

I’ve never been absolutely bowled over by a Marni handbag, but but they’re consistently unique and well-made, which goes a long way in a crowded accessories marketplace. Marni Spring 2011‘s bags may be the line that forces me to turn the corner, so to speak. The bags are streamlined, made of outstanding materials, and just weird enough to be wonderful. This line has a very specific customer base, and I think I’m finally part of it.

Photos via Style.com.

There’s something so Parisian and ladylike about the Marni Small Crepe Shoulder Bag that I just can’t help but be attracted to. The brand may be Italian, but what we have here looks so much like a cross between Lanvin and Chanel that you’d never know it from just this piece. Somehow, though, I like this bag even more – its lines are cleaner than on some of Chanel’s fashion bags and the totality of the design seems more well-edited than the average Lanvin.

There is so much going on with the bag’s strap – chains, ribbons, faux flowers – that the bag itself actually borders on boring. The mini bag is made of crepe wool instead of leather, and the only changes I would make would be to make the bag itself larger to correspond with the scale of the chain and also make it out of another material – maybe even an exotic to provide some contrasting texture.

Other than those two things, the overall design is unexpected and beautiful. Somehow, Marni manages to combine all of the elements that we see in a way that doesn’t make them looked like they’re tacked-on afterthoughts to spruce up a boring design, and that’s no small accomplishment when dealing with lots and lots of extras. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $975.

But, for some reason, I’m having trouble coming up with my normal level of self-righteous rage over the Marni Alpaca Tote. It’s not that I like it, because I don’t think I do, but could it be that it’s just not quite as bad as the average fur bag, while still being substantially worse than the average non-fur bag?

I think that maybe my low-level of disdain for this bag is because not only does the fur have some interesting texture variation to it, but the bag actually appears to have a bit of a shape. Instead of being a uniformly colored and textured puffball, it actually looks rather bag-like. Which isn’t high praise under normal circumstances, but it probably puts it at the top of the fur bag rankings.

And maybe it’s because Marni is a brand that has a very quirky, nontraditional style to it that I don’t hate that they made a fur bag. I’m not sure. I still wouldn’t wear it, but I could imagine someone pulling it off reasonably well in a very cold climate. I’ve seen worse, that’s for sure. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $2440.